Basket



J. F. EAST.

BASKET.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.5. 1912'.

1,310,3g8, Patented July 15, 1919.

John E flimsy,

JOHN F. EAST, or NQRFOLK, VIRGINIA.

BASKET.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented July 115, 1919 Application filed September 5. 1917. Serial No. 189.843.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jonx F. EAST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Baskets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. v

This invention relates to receptacles, and more particularly to baskets.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the construction of baskets to facilitate the filling of the basket when it is in an inverted position with its cover or top applied, the basket being provided with an opening in its bottom to permit the filling or charging of the basket by the material such as fruit, vegetables. etc. to be shipped or contained in the receptacle.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved structure of baskets of the type involving walls of staves or splints, the basket having an open top and bottom and providing a bottom or closure readily applicable to the basket structure after the latter hasbeen filled while in an inverted position, and to provide for the ready and eiiicient securing of the bottom closure in position when applied.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved basket construction and a method for building the improved basket.

' \Yith these and other objects in view, as

' will be n'ianifest to those skilled in the art.

my invention consists in. a basket and in the methodot manufacturing the same. as more particularly set forth in the fol-lowing specification and as embodied in the forms illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a central vertical section through a preferred form of the basketshowing the bottom removed from the hasket;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view through the bottom portion oi the inverted basket showing the closure as applied. and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2.

In the embodiment oi the invention. as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the basket assumes the frustoconical form. and its sides are formed of staves 20, the upper or top ends of which are secured to a band or encircling support 21, and the lower ends of the staves are converged toward each other and encircled by a hoop or band 22 at the bottom end into which they are appropriately secured. the bottom end being left open for the filling of the inverted basket as in the manner previously described. In this form of the invention the open bottom is closed after the basket is filled by a disk-like closure 23 having an exterior diameter adapted to snugly fit within the lower ends of the staves 20 at the bottom end of the basket. and the bottom 23 is then adapted to be securely fastened in place by any appropriate fastening means. An etlicient and inexpensive fastening for this type. of the invention is similar'to that described previously and consists of a piece of bendable strap or binding metal 24 which may be secured either to the detached bottom '23 or to the bottom end of the basket structure. In Fig. 2 the fastening straps 24 are shown as secured at 25 between the outer hoop 22 and the stave ends. and each has an upwardly projecting end portion adapted to be bent over the appiied bottom :23 and secured thereto by nails or other suitable means '26.

It. is understood that the covers of the baskets may be of any suitable construction and design and appropriately fastened to the basket proper in the applied position. and also that suitable handles may be secured to or applied to the basket for convenience in handling the same.

It will be seen that in the form of the basket illustrated in Figs. 1. 2 and 3 that the staves are converged inwardly toward the bottom outer hoop and are slightly upwardly divergent. and the bottom :23 has its outer edge slightly tapered so as to snugly fit the tapering opening in the bottom of the basket and be held frictionally therein until the fastening devices by which the applied bottom is secured to the basket structure are securely fastened. In this form of basket I utilize no inner hoop member or rest to support the applied bottom of the basket. this being laid upon the apples or other material in the basket and then securely fastened.

\Vhat is claimed as new is:

A splint basket adapted to be formed on a one-piece anvil having the usual open top and a cover therefor and having an open bottom end through which it is lilied while in an inverted position, the ends of the s lints at the bottom slightly outwardly allow of the Withdrawal of the anvil and a ared, an exterior bottom hoop fitting the bottom piece flared complementarily to the flared ends of the splints and with the botbottom mouth to snugly fit thereinto and lie 10 tom edge of which the splints are co-tersubstantially flush with the band and splint 5 minal to form a smooth flared month, said ends.

flare being slight enough to permit the tem- In testimony whereof I affix my signature. porary distortion of the splints and hoop to JOHN F. EAST. 

